The Wind is Blowing
by Deadly Raptor
Summary: Sometimes, a species simply won't adapt to environmental changes. A oneshot.


In a landmass, far from the one the most familiar pikmin were located on, lived another race. They were half plant, half animal. They anatomically resembled the other pikmnin types in every last way. But these fellows were different. They were completely drained of skin color, making them look like a waterwraith but non-transparent. They had no special abilities, let alone an Onion. They are known only as Clear Pikmin.

Every day the Clear Pikmin played in the sunshine, foraged for food, fled from predators, and reproduced. It was a good life, a happy life, as every last one got along without quarrel nor dispute.

All year round in this land, there was nothing but warmth and sun. It never snowed. It never got cold. The rains were not chilling, but tropically warm. Lush plant growth was everywhere, providing and endless supply of food. It was paradise.

But the most revered weather occurence around these parts is the periodic winds, which bring cooling comfort and a wondrous sight of seeding dandleions and dancing plants.

(Seven years later)

The sun wasn't visible that day. The sky was full of dark grey clouds, as a form of water fell. Not rain, but frozen water. It was snowing.

A brief, cold breeze blew across the empty, snow covered landscape as many plants, most of which were dead, drooped onto the cold snow as though the life force had been ripped right out of them.

The climate had really changed.

A short while later, the winds began to pick up. The snow started to come down more heavily, riding through the air on the wind as frozen vapor tore across the landscape like a sandstorm. Dead plants shifted positions in accordance to the blizzard's one way track, still leaning over, they no longer cared, for they were dead.

(In a distant part of the landscape...)

Below the bases of several trees was a small group of Clear Pikmin. Five of them. All shivering. They were cold, tired, and most of all, starving, barely managing to live off a few meager seeds and berries unearthed in the ground of ice. They struggled to keep their eyes open as the blizzard relentlessly blew over them.

"Guys... this is terrible. It's been days, possibly weeks or maybe even months since we've seen other pikmin. I think we're going extinct."

All five of them sighed, one of their stomachs growled. Another pikmin spoke.

"I don't understand. Why did this have to happen? I grew up in such a wonderful land of warmth and food, now I can scarcely have a moment of comfort."

There was a pause after this. One of the pikmin started having violent eruptions of uncontrollable shaking. During other moments he wouldn't be in such a bad condition and shiver normally. But the eruption periods were great. After half an hour of this, he finally dropped into the snow.

"No!"

One of the Clear Pikmin reached down to try and help him, two others huddled for warmth. The last one tried to dig through the snow and cozy up to the solid ground, only to burst out, shivering and with bits of frost on him. The ground wasn't any warmer than the rest of the place.

"Please! Get up!"

The pikmin that had collapsed was shivering much less now and appeared to be falling asleep.

"No, this is the end, let me close my eyes..."

He said this as frost was clumping on his face. The blizzard grew stronger, and the other pikmin crouched closer to the snow as they were buffeted by the icey vapor blowing by. They were just laying there, shivering as their stems twitched up and down, prisoners of the weather. Small cracks could be heard as the flower pikmin's petals chipped off, followed by the stem collapsing into the snow, still twitching.

"Don't give up on us, not yet, we can save the species, there is still hope, we just need to stick together!"

There was a pregnant pause before the collapsed pikmin spoke again.

"The wind... it's still... blowing..."

And with those words, the fallen pikmin's head fell back and his eyes shut closed, and all movement ceased entirely. The other pikmin still held onto his friend, despite the blizzard, despite the snow, despite the icy vapor, despite the pitiful squeals of the other pikmin...

And his grip never once loosened, even as he was slowly being buried by the snow carried by the winds...

...

_Unfortunately, none of the five Clear Pikmin were able to adapt to the climate change and so they died, rendering the species extinct._


End file.
